Copy sheet receiving tray for duplicating machines



May 11, 1960 H. P. KEIL 2,937,021

COPY SHEET RECEIVING TRAY FOR DUPLICA'I'ING MACHINES Filed March 24, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 17, 1960 p, K I 2,937,021

COPY SHEET RECEIVING TRAY FOR DUPLICATING VACHINES Filed March 24, 1958 :s Sheets-Sheet z INVENTOR.

Hen/y P A w/ May 17, 1960 H. P. KEIL 2,937,021

COPY SHEET RECEIVING TRAY FOR DUPLICATING MACHINES Filed March 24, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

//z/7/y 1. /(e// United States Patent 2,937,021 COPY SHEET RECEIVING TRAY FOR DUPLICATING MACHINES Henry P. Keil, Chicago, 11]., assignor to Fixture Hardware Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois 7 Application March 24, 1958, Serial No. 723,302

'3 Claims. (Cl. 271-86) -with indicia, and an imprinted sheet receiving section which receives the imprinted sheets from the imprinting section and stacks them in a pile. When the sheets are discharged from the imprinting section, ';they are still fresh enough that the indicia thereon is susceptible'to smearing and offsetting from one sheet to another. "If the sheets are allowed to slideagainst each other during the receiving and stacking process, the quality of the product is materially reduced through smearing, offsetting, etc.

The principal reason why this smearing, etc., occurs is that, for one reason or another, the sheets are permitted to engage with the stack on the receiving tray as they are moving from the imprinting section into the tray. In some machines the receiving tray is positioned so that it intersects the path of the sheets, thus forcing them to slide relative to each other. Whether this condition exists or not, the sheets still slide against each other for the reason that the unsupported advancing portions of sheets leaving the tray tend to bow downwardly in'the direction of travel and thus depart from the theoretical path of discharge and engage the previously imprinted sheets therebeneath. So far as I am aware, no successful solution to this problem has heretofore been found.

It is the principal purpose of this invention to provide sheet receiving means which will receive sheets discharged from the duplicating machine in such a manner as to prevent sliding contact of one sheet with another, and thus "prevent smearing, offsetting, etc., whereby to materially enhance the quality of the finished product.

I have found that by conditioning the copy sheets so that they will float in a uniform path'from the duplicating drum to a point above the stack of previously imprinted sheets free of contact with the stack, and then by providing means to stop the sheets and allow them to settle downwardly onto the stack, smearing'and offsetting can be avoided. Consequently, it is the'purpose of my invention to provide sheet receiving means for a duplicating machine including means to deflect sheets discharged'from the duplicating drum into a uniform floating path, means intersecting the path at a point spaced from the duplicating drum to stop the'sheets and allow them to settle, and means beneath the path to guide the sheets vertically onto a stack supported beneath the path.

1 The nature and advantages of my invention will appear' more clearly from the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred form of the invention is shown. It should he understood however, that the drawings and description are'illustrative only, and

assmii Patented May 17,1960

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, having a copy sheet receiving tray thereon which embodies my invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged plan view of the receiving tray, showing a portion of the end of the duplicating machine to which the tray is attached in section;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Figure 3;.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the receiving tray, illustrating the means thereon for supporting the tray on a duplicating machine; and

Figure 6 isafragmentary perspective view illustrating the manner in which a copy sheet is discharged from the machine into the receiving tray. 7

Referring now to the drawings, and to Figures 1, 2 and 3 in particular, my invention is shown as embodied in a provided. Copy sheet feeding means (not shown) are duplicating machine 10 of the liquid process type. The machine 10 includes spaced apart side frames 11 and 12 which mount the several elements of the machine there between. These elements include a master sheet carrying drum 13, a platen roller 14 supported adjacent thereto (see Figure 3) and additional copy sheet manipulating and treating elements, not shown. At the infeed end of the machine, a copy sheet holding and feeding tray 15 is provided to remove single copy sheets 16 from the tray 15 and deliver'them to the treating and manipulating means and thence into the bight between the drum 13 and platen roller 14. The sheets 16 are then passed between these elements 13 and 14 by rotation thereof,.and theindicia carried by a master sheet 13a on the drum 13 is transferred to the copy sheets 16. After the sheets 16 have been imprinted, they are propelled into a' receiving tray 17 where they are formed into a stack to await removal.

i It is to the construction of the receiving tray 17 and its relation to the drum 13 in roller 14 that this invention is directed.

As shown in the drawings, the receiving tray 17 comprises a main supporting plate 18 which has means thereon removably supporting it upon the duplicating machine 10 as hereinafter described. The supporting plate 18 has a pair of spaced apart upstanding side guides 19 and 2 0 thereon to guide the sheets 16 into a stack as they are discharged into the tray 17. These guides 19 and 20 are.

substantially L-shaped as illustrated in Figure 4, and include upright portions 19a and 20a and lower horizontal flanges 19b and 2%. At the upper ends of the upright portions, the guides are bent outwardly, as shown at 19c and 200 to direct improperly aligned sheets 16 therebetween. verse adjustment by pins 21 that extend through the flanges 19b and 20b and through transverse slots 22 and 23 in the plate 18. Each pin 21 has thereon a friction washer 24 and a collar or retaining washer 25, both positioned below the plate 18. Springs 26 are interposed between the retaining washers 25 and thefriction washers wardly to halt copy sheets 16 discharged into the tray 17,

and is movable toward and away from the tray 17 to accommodate different sizes of copy sheets. As shown in Figure 3, the stop 27 is mounted upon a horizontal slide 28 which isslidably' received by guide 29 afiixed to the The guides 19 and 20 are supported for transw under side of the plate 18. A slot 30 is cut into the plate rum 13. The particular means for mounting the tray 17 to the machine may vary considerably for various makes and models of duplicating machines. The present invention contemplates anysuitable mounting means. A

convenient means for mounting the tray 17 isillustrated in the drawings and comprises ear means having slots therein adapted to engage with pinsor crossbars mounted between the side frames 11 and 12 of the machine 10. As illustrated, the plate 18 of the tray 17 hasa depending flange 31 at each side thereof into which ran. upwardly directed slot 3,2is cut. The slots 32 in the flanges 31 receive a cross bar 33 that extends between the side frames 11 and 12 of the machine 10, whereby to support the tray 1'7 on the cross bar 33. Additional upstanding cars 34 are fixed to the base plate 18 of the tray 17 near the edge thereof closest to the drum 13. The upstanding ears 34 have slots 35 therein which receive pins 36 that extend inwardly from the side frames 11 and 12 of the machine 10. The slots 35 cooperate with the slots 32 to rigidly support the tray 17 in the desired position.

As earlier herein mentioned, the cause of smearing,

offset, etc., which occurs with standard machines, is sliding contact of the fresh sheets in the receiving tray. To avoid this result, I provide means to float the copy sheets out over the tray 17, and then permit them to settle downwardly upon the stack therebeneath without sliding contact. As shown in Figure. 3 of the drawings, the tray 17 is mounted on the machine 10 substantially below the path of copy sheets 16 discharged from the drum 13. This path, indicated at P in the drawings represents the path which sheets leaving the bight between. the drum 13 and roller 14 will follow, at least for a short distance. The tray 17 is positioned well below this path to prevent sliding contact of sheets following the path with sheets on the tray.

With this construction, sheets leaving the drum 13 will, if they follow the path P, float out over the tray 17 without engaging with it. As illustrated in Figure 3; the end stop 27 is formed so that it projects upwardly into the path P to stop sheets 16 floating over the tray 17, and permit them to settle down between the guides 19 and 20 onto the stack of sheets therebeneath. Sheets settling in this manner do not have any sliding contact with sheets stacked on the tray 17, so smearing, etc. is prevented.

I have found that while sheets leaving the drum 13 follow a substantially uniform path for a short distance, copy sheets will not always follow a uniform path all the way to the end stop 27. This is particularly true in the case of copy sheets emerging from a liquid process duplicating machine, since the sheets imprinted by the liquid process are coated with the wet solvent and are substantially limp. I have found, however, that if the limp and moist copy sheets are bowed in a direction transverse to the direction of travel, so that their side edges are elevated above the central portion, they will be stiif enough to float over the stack of copy sheets on the receiving tray 17 all the way to the end of the stop 27 in the desired manner. In order to provide this how in the sheets 16 as they emerge from the duplicating ma chine 10, I mount at the edge of the tray 17 nearest the drum 13 a deflecting lip 37. The lip 37 may be a sepa rate element bolted to the tray 17 as illustrated, or it may be integral with the tray 17. The lip 37 extends upwardly at an oblique angle to the base plate 13 near the drum 13 and roller 14. As illustrated in Figure 3, the intermediate or central portion 33 of the deflecting lip 37 terminates below the path P of the sheets leaving the drum 13, but the upper edge of the lip 37 is inclined upwardly toward the outer edges to provide tapered cars 39' at each side which extend into and beyond the path P.' With this construction, copy sheets 16 leaving the drum 13, are engaged near their side edges only by the ears 39 so that they are bowed in a transverse direction as they pass over the lip 37 (see Figure 6). The bowed sheets are then stiif enough to float the full distance to the end stop 27 before they settle onto the stack of sheets 16 therebeneath.

The deflectinglip 37 performs another function in ad dition to the transverse bowing of the sheets 16. Engagementof a sheet 16 by the lip 37 tends to deflect all of the sheets 16 into a uniform path, and also exerts a certain amount of drag on the sheets 16 so that they are slowed down somewhat. This slowing down of the sheets 16 permits dry air to hit them for a longer period so that evaporation of the solvent thereon (in the case of the liquid process machine), or the ink thereon (in the case of the mimeograph machine), is permitted to dry substantially before the sheets are engaged with the stack.

It should be apparent from the foregoing that my in vention provides means for receiving copy sheets from duplicating machines in such a manner that the sheets are stacked without relative sliding. engagement and are free of smearing, offset, etc. that reduces the quality of the finished product in present machines. My unique combination of means for conditioning the sheets leaving the drum to float in a substantially uniform path, to-.

While I have shown the tray 17 as being aligned sub-.

stantially parallel to the path of sheets discharged from the drum 13, in the drawings, it will be appreciated that it may be tipped up or down within reasonable limits, without materially effecting its function. must, however, always be maintained below and clear of the path P.

It is believed that the nature and advantages of my invention appear clearly from the foregoing.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a duplicating machine comprising adjacent drum and platen roller means for imprinting indicia upon copy sheets wherein said drum and platen roller means includes adjacent lateral rotating surfaces between which the sheets are fed to thereby discharge the sheets rear- Wardly in a uniform tangential path, the improvement in copy receiving means comprising a tray mounted on the machine immediately rearward of said adjacent surfaces below said path, rearwardlyinclined deflecting means mounted at the forward end of said tray having extended lateral sides which intersect the edges of said path,

said deflecting means being operable to bow each of the: copy sheets transversely to said path as the sheet is; being discharged by said adjacent surfaces and therebycondition the sheets to float rearwardly along said path of discharge over said tray, and stop means on the tray spaced rearwardly from said deflecting means operable to halt the bowed sheets floating along said path and cause the sheets to settle downv/ardly into the tray.

2. In a duplicating machine comprising adjacent drum and platen roller means for imprinting indicia upon copy sheets wherein said drum and platen roller means ineludes adjacent lateral rotating surfaces between which,

the sheets are fed to thereby discharge the sheets rearwardly in a uniform tangential path, the improvement in copy receiving means comprising a tray mounted on the machine immediately rearward of said adjacent surfaces below said path, a transversely extending deflecting lip, fixed to the forward end of said tray extending rearwardly at an oblique angleto said tangential path, the upper edge of said lip having a recessed center section defined,

by inclined sides extending toward the side edges of said lip to an elevation above said tangential path whereby to elevate the side edges of each copy sheet as it is passed The tray 17.

over the lip along said path under the force of said adguide the side edges of the sheets as it settles vertically jacent surfaces to thereby stiffen said sheet against londownward onto the tray, said guides having outwardly gitudinal flexing and condition the sheet to float along and upwardly inclined top flanges.

said path over said tray, and a rear stop member on the tray longitudinally remote from said lip, said stop mem- 5 References Cited in the file of this PE1mm ber projecting above said tray into saidpath and adopted UNITED STATES PATENTS to halt the rearward motion of said sheets whereby to cause them to settle vertically downward onto the tray. gifi et u 5; 3. The device as defined in claim '2" further including 2796259 z June 1957 upstanding side guides mounted on saidtray operable to 10 

